Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

Xintelaiya couldn't help but think so. She hoped that Noah was a hypocrite who hid herself deeply. In this way, even if she saw her really die at the hands of the No-Head Alliance in the end, she probably wouldn't be sad.

Few people who are targeted by the Wuzhou Alliance can escape unscathed.

Furthermore, Noa was disabled. Even with her vigilance, she wouldn't be able to detect poisoning or beyond-visual-range sniping. Ultimately, if they truly wanted to kill Noa, there were plenty of ways. While the order to kill Noa hadn't been issued yet, what if one were to be? What if the Helmetless Alliance managed to distract Kuro and Mainna?

Although Noah is protected by powerful people, she herself... is too fragile.

Even though Xintela was so fragile now, she could still break her neck in an instant. At this distance, it was absolutely impossible for Xintela to fail. After all, she was the Platinum Queen of the No Hero Alliance.

Xinteleya imagined countless scenes of killing the girl in front of her. She felt that she could do it. Although she might not be able to escape from those two people, she could do it.

Regardless of whether she could escape safely afterwards, the girl would die in this attack, and this was irreversible... But no matter which scene it was, Sintelaiya wanted to vomit. If she really did that, could she really feel at peace with herself?

Maybe... no?

Xinteleya closed her eyes and temporarily put this idea out of her head. For some reason, here, she didn't want to think about whether she was a platinum VIP. She was now... just a newly employed receptionist Xinteleya.

"It's so satisfying... I'll definitely be a regular here from now on." As she left the cat cafe, even though she was covered in cat fur, she still felt unsatisfied. "Please don't give up on cat cafes in the future, please."

"Hmph, that depends on your performance," Noah smiled. However, before Sintela had taken a few steps in pushing Noah's wheelchair, the masked blonde woman came towards them. Sintela subconsciously stiffened and awkwardly let go of the wheelchair handle.

"I didn't mean to take your job—"

"Kuro, you came here so quickly?" Noah didn't seem to be panicking. "You know her, Xinteleya. From today on, she is also a member of our company."

"...I just heard from the HR director." Kuro was still as frugal with his words, but his gaze towards Cintrea was devoid of warmth. Even through the mask, Cintrea could clearly sense that this man disliked her. "Thank you for accompanying Noa. Leave the rest to me."

"...Please do as you please."

Under this level of pressure, Cintrea took two steps back. Watching Kuro take control of the wheelchair and Noah say goodbye to her, Cintrea felt a strange pang of sadness.

——Even though I’m only trying to please her to get closer to her, right?

Chapter 35: The Legend of the Black Knight

The victor! The Knight of the Flawed Light! Maria Liguang!

Following the announcement by Big Mouth Mob, Maria, who could barely stand up on the field, raised her arms in a daze. Hearing the cheers in her ears, she suddenly thought.

——Was your elder sister like this back then?

No... my sister is a genius. I guess she didn't fight as badly as I did. When the battle turned into a protracted war, her victory was already doomed.

The Linguang family's Originium skill is light. It is both the scorching sun that makes it difficult to look directly at it, and the moonlight that moistens everything silently and heals illness and pain. The more they fight, the stronger they become. Before the Originium skill is exhausted, the knights of the Linguang family will never fall.

When her opponent didn't directly overpower her, Maria could rely on her Originium skills to bridge the gap, ultimately even achieving victory over the strong with the weak. For Maria now, this was her most effective fighting method.

Returning to the lounge, Maria, having removed her armor, breathed a sigh of relief. Physical pain wasn't a problem; given time, her Originium skills would resolve it all. The problem was mental. A protracted battle tested not only the body but also the spirit. It was like a marathon: no matter how fast you run, you can't finish without a strong will. Maria, right now, felt like someone who had just finished a marathon, finally outlasting their opponent and finally breathing a sigh of relief.

"Maria!" Just then, Zofia arrived. Concerned, she pulled Maria into her arms. Then, she began examining her wounds. Most of the damage had been blocked by her armor, leaving only bruises. But for Zofia, the pain Maria suffered was both physical and emotional. Technically, Maria could have avoided participating in this pointless battle. But perhaps, for Maria, the injuries sustained in this battle weren't as painful as Zofia imagined.

Or perhaps it was even a joy, the joy of being able to help her family. She had always been that kind of child. For her, the real pain was that day. The day she saw her sister leave—the day she was powerless, even having to be comforted by her sister. But for Maria, she didn't want to be protected forever. Perhaps that was the real pain.

So she didn't complain or cry. Instead, she smiled and said to Zofia, "Look, I won, didn't I? I'm also reliable when my sister is not around."

"Yes, yes, you're very reliable. But can you protect yourself first? Do you know how worried I was watching from the sidelines? His sword was just a hair's breadth away, just a hair's breadth away. I almost wanted to rush onto the stage to help you." Zofia complained like this. As Maria's family member, she certainly still wanted Maria to be safe, whether they won or not didn't matter. "Forget it, this isn't going to help you. Alas... Margaret was like this back then, and you are like this too. Can this be inherited?"

"a ha ha ha……"

Maria, speechless, smiled awkwardly. When she'd watched her sister win from the audience, she'd been filled with joy and happiness, even pride. But she hadn't expected it to be a completely different story when others saw her on stage. Her performance hadn't been great. No wonder Aunt Zofia was so worried. But she wondered if Sister Noya was watching the competition, too.

Perhaps, perhaps, his unpresentable behavior had been exposed in front of his sister Noya, whom he cared about very much.

Maria's mood darkened again at this thought. Young girls are naturally sensitive, even as a member of a knight family. She was the one who boasted, and now she's the one who couldn't keep it, not to mention how ugly the fight was. Noah must be worried. She wondered if she was disappointed in herself. Would Noah, who had supported her back then, regret seeing what she saw?

"What are you daydreaming about? Go to the celebration party."

Just then, Zofia finally woke the girl from her wandering thoughts. Patting her head, she said lovingly, "No matter what, a win is a win. Let's celebrate first, and then we'll figure it out. After all, winning is justice. It's better than losing, right?"

"Is that so? Hey, but a knight's battle is definitely more impressive, isn't it? Just like my sister."

"Do you think everyone can be like your sister? She's a genius. The youngest knightly tournament champion. Aside from that triple crown winner, I've never seen a more talented knight."

"Yeah, I've heard of it too. It's the Black Knight whose foil cards are very expensive right now."

"Not only is it expensive, there's only one Black Knight card to date. While there are many cards with the same art but varying in rarity, it's said the Black Knight only took one picture, so the price of this first edition card has skyrocketed."

"Some people compare her to her older sister, saying that if the Black Knight hadn't chosen to give up the competition, her older sister's championship would have been in doubt."

"...You can't say there's anything wrong with what others say. After all, that's the Black Knight, so he's definitely worth a lot of money. I just don't know where he is now?"

Speaking of this topic, everyone in Casimir could probably say something. After all, knightly competitions have developed to this point. But few can truly be called legends. Margaret is one, and the Black Knight is a legend among legends.

Many of Casimir grew up hearing the legend of the Black Knight, but no one knows what became of her. Perhaps she still shines somewhere. Perhaps she's retired, never to fight again. Who knows?

-

"Kuro? Why are you daydreaming?" Noah's heart had just settled after watching Maria's match when she noticed that something was wrong with Kuro, who had just been standing next to her.

"It's okay." Kuro was still so frugal with her words. Facing Noah's concern, she maintained a very calm tone.

"What do you think of Maria's fight?"

"very bad."

"It's okay if you praise her." Noah smiled bitterly, as if most knights were terrible in front of you. "You can't use yourself as a standard."

"But I only know my own strength," Kuro said bluntly. "I can only use myself as a standard."

"Okay, it's my fault." Noah shook his head, "But at least I won, right?"

Chapter 36: Past and Present

At the celebration banquet, Maria asked curiously, "Speaking of which, Sister Zofia, how did you and Sister Noah meet?"

"? Why do you suddenly care about this?"

"Because, I remember hearing Sister Zofia mention her before I met Sister Noya..." Maria recalled, "You said there was a gloomy-looking girl in the Kirilet family... Now that I think about it, I think you were talking about Sister Noya, right?"

"...Ah... I thought she was really gloomy back then..." Zofia froze. She did seem to have mentioned this before when she was chatting with Maria at home. Zofia was young back then, and she had a good relationship with Yolanta. She often visited the Kirilet family, usually to see Yolanta. But Yolanta always seemed to be accompanied by a gloomy little girl.

At that time, Noah was just a follower of Yolanta. He always stayed by Yolanta's side, pulling at her clothes, and dodged when he saw Zofia. He was completely different from the Noah who became later.

So, as they say, girls change a lot when they grow up. Even now, Zofia couldn't connect the Noah she saw then with the Noah she saw now. Could someone really change that much? But thinking back on what Noah had experienced, she could understand it to some extent.

The disappearance of Yolanta and Snits was the greatest blow to the Linguang and Kirielight families. The disappearance of these two important figures, who should have been the backbone of each family, plunged both families into a gloomy situation. The eldest son of the Kirielight family and his wife had long since left Casimir for Leithania and were never heard from again, leaving behind only Noya, who was raised by Yolanta. Yolanta had long since married Snits, so suddenly, Noya was the only legitimate heir left in the Kirielight family.

Yolanta, whom Noya almost regarded as a second mother, disappeared along with Snitks not long after...

For little Noa, losing both her mothers in the space of just a few years was a profound blow. It's said that Noa was subjected to strict discipline by her family and underwent rigorous training at an early age, transforming her from a carefree little princess into the only hope of the Kirilet family. At one point, her fame rivaled Margaret's, and everyone believed the Kirilet family would regain its glory.

As a result... a kidnapping case turned everything into nothing.

It can be said that Noah's first half of her life was basically a period of loss...and her current status was almost entirely achieved by her own hard work.

The protection of her father and the support of her family have almost nothing to do with her. The only reason why she has become the head of the Kirilet family is... because she is the only legitimate successor to the Kirilet family.

Especially after her grandfather passed away, there was really no one in the entire Kirilet that Noah could rely on.

Thinking of this, Zofia's expression wasn't very good. The girl she had initially thought was just Yolanta's little follower had now grown into this person. And more importantly... she looked a lot like Yolanta. Zofia often mistook her for someone else, so when Margaret was still around, her relationship with Noah had always made Zofia wonder... Was Margaret seeing a reflection of her mother in Noah?

Although this idea was absurd, once it appeared, Zofia herself could not control it.

Well, maybe this is how adults think...Maria won't understand.

"But I do feel like my sister must really like Noah... When the two of them are together, they really look like a painting." Maria didn't know what Zofia was thinking, so she simply gave her own imagination. "They must be lifelong friends!"

"...Lifelong friends..." Zofia's mind flashed with the image of Margaret pressing Noah hard on the bed. "I hope it doesn't get worse... Otherwise, I won't know what to call Noah. The generations are too confusing."

"...What's gone bad?"

"Children don't understand." Zofia's heart ached as the bitter wine went down her throat. Alas, the Kirilet family had always had a good relationship with the Linguang family, and intermarriage was even common. Most of the time, the Kirilet family gave birth to girls, and the Linguang family gave birth to boys. But this generation, both families had girls... If they still followed tradition...

Now that Yolanta and Snitzer are missing, doesn't that mean Margaret and Noah are going to become a couple?

It's not impossible...but for those who are familiar with Noah, it's a little hard to accept.

Alas, these are matters between young people, and are no longer issues that our generation should consider.

Maria blinked her eyes, a little confused by what Zofia said. What about deterioration, what about not knowing what to call Noah sister, what about adult topics... She picked up the orange juice in her cup, and her pure heart inexplicably rippled because of these words.

"Oh, by the way, Sister Zofia, you should drink less... Last time you asked me to carry you back... Oh, it seems I'm too late." Maria just remembered this matter, and saw that there were five or six more beer bottles in front of Zofia. Even the owner of the bar, Old Martin, looked at the former jockey seriously, fearing that she would suddenly start to act crazy while drunk, and his door had not been repaired for long.

"...I...I'm not drunk. I'm just saying...Noah is really too distant...Why can't she discuss something with me...I can obviously help."

"You're still not drunk even after all this..."

"I'm not drunk! How could I be drunk with just this little bit of wine?"

"Ah, right, right... Then let's go home, okay?"

"No, give me another dozen! I won't go home until I'm drunk!"

"……what……"

If it were before, she could still call Noah and ask Kuro and Noah to come and help the people leave, but now... Maria could only take out her phone and wonder who to call. Noah said it was best not to contact her recently... It was best not to meet in private, so as not to catch any handle. So today...

She looked at the contact list and saw a name among them...

"If there is really no other way... I can only call my uncle." Maria pressed the call button with a bitter face.

Maena quickly answered the phone, and a low voice came from the other end. "What's going on?"

"Sister Zofia... is drunk, so."

"...I'll be there right away." Mainna didn't ask where the bar was, but rather where the two of them could drink. After a while, Mainna appeared at the door of the bar. She looked at Zofia, who was already drunk, then looked at Maria, who looked uneasy, and shook her head silently.

"...Uncle, we just..."

"Nothing, I just happened to be free." Mainna interrupted Maria's explanation, "I'll carry Zofia on my back, and we'll... go home."

Chapter 37: Reconciliation

Carrying Zofia on his back, Mainna almost forgot her weight.

Back then, Zofia and I had a very good relationship and often got into trouble together. Then, when Old Pegasus scolded us, Snitks interceded for us. Anyway, back then, we never imagined that this would be the case.

Just as Mainna is the pillar of the Linguang family today, Snitzer had also been the pillar of support back then, allowing Old Tenma to allow Mainna and Zofia to misbehave and even allow them to do what they liked. Back then, they would often go out to fight, only to be brought back by Snitzer from the police station. Snitzer would smile wryly while Mainna would carry Zofia, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, back home on his back.

The road wasn't that far, but it seemed like they had been walking for a long time.

Zofia, who was carried on their back before, is now carried on their back again... Although this time it is not their elder brother Snitz who is following them, but their niece Maria.

Maina walked slowly and steadily, and Maria, following him, seemed a little cautious. She had originally thought that Maina's uncle would be angry. After all, the fact that two girls went out drinking at night was a bad thing in itself. Especially in the strict family of Lin Guang?

It would have been unreasonable for Maina not to scold them harshly. But Maina said nothing, and just took the two girls home with her usual expressionless face.

After putting Zofia on the bed in the guest room, when Mainna returned to the living room, he saw Maria with a panicked look on her face. He was stunned at first, then seemed to realize something, then sighed, walked up and sat next to Maria.

"Does the wound still hurt?"

“…No, it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

"I watched the game..."

“Oh…eh?!”

Maria was shocked by what Mainna said. Uncle Mainna actually watched her game? Did the sun rise from the west?

"It was a bad fight."

"……Oh."

Sure enough, I was about to criticize myself. It's true, my fight wasn't particularly impressive. Although I ultimately won, it was entirely due to my physique and the resilience afforded by my Originium skills. The opponent's overall strength was significantly stronger than mine. If we fought again, or if they had been more prepared, I probably would have lost. Right now, it's just my status as a rookie. I'm just taking advantage.

For many people, they are not worth studying right now. That is why they take advantage of loopholes. When they are not strong enough, only in this situation can they win the game unexpectedly.

Of course, this way of winning was not the way the Linguang family should have won. It was perfectly natural for Uncle Manna to have a problem with her. In his view, perhaps this was an insult to the Linguang family's tradition and honor. Furthermore, he already hated her participation in the knightly tournaments. This gave her even more reason to persuade her to withdraw. She was still trying to figure out how to refute Uncle Manna's argument.

But to her surprise, Mainna didn't say anything to her, nor did she ask her to withdraw from the knight competition. Today, she just said, "You played very badly." This level of scolding couldn't even be called a scolding, but more like a concern.

"Your swordsmanship isn't flexible enough. You need to adapt to changing circumstances and not fall into a routine. We've only taught you the basics, but you need to be flexible. A battle can't be won by just following a script."

Mainna continued, his expression not dismal. On the contrary, he seemed quite patient. He pointed out the flaws in Maria's swordplay and offered his own solution. He looked more like a patient elder. Even if Zofia were still awake, she would probably be startled. Mainna now showed a rare warmth.

"Hmm... Yeah." Maria was a little unaccustomed to this. Her communication with Uncle Mainna was usually one-sided, mostly Mainna's unilateral output to her.

She had never experienced such an atmosphere where they could have a long conversation. Although she understood that a big part of the reason why Uncle Mainna looked so irritable before was that after becoming a corporate slave, he had very little time to communicate with them, but now, Uncle Mainna seemed to be able to get off work on time inexplicably, so naturally he communicated with her more, which made Maria a little uncomfortable.

"If you don't want to hear it, then I won't say it."

Seeing that Maria was distracted, Maina thought that she was being too talkative, so she spoke.